The Appointment of a Child

Read Luke 2:22-35

Though there was a lot more, I want to focus our time today on one section of what Simeon says to Mary regarding her Son and Lord. Simeon makes a prophecy that is consistent both with what was said by previous prophets regarding the coming Messiah as well as what the four gospels outline to have been the case about His time here.

This prophecy that is provided is more than just a prediction because we are told that Simeon has the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is important that without the Holy Spirit, there is no Word! Simeon states these things to Mary about Jesus and when he does, He says that the child is appointed for three things. Just with that word, appointed, we can understand that these things are laid out or destined to happen. So what it is that Jesus was destined for? First,

For the fall and rising of many

When it comes to the fall Simeon points out, scholars have two main ideas as to what this is in reference to. Some say that the falling of many here is in reference to those who will never believe. This makes sense when we consider the fact that there are two groups of people: those who believe that Jesus is the savior of the world and those who do not. The fall is the eternal state of those who choose not to believe. In choosing not to believe, the entirety of life will be a wretched state. Jesus talks about this in Matthew 25:46, where He says, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” This is one way of looking at the fall. But there is another perspective on this as well.

Hear the words of Jesus in Luke 9:23-24: And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” You’ll notice that there is a humbling or a fall that takes place before a person follows Jesus. Just in the same way that Jesus humbled Himself and carried His own cross before another had to, the person that believes that Jesus is Lord will also have to humble themselves. This is why a conversation about salvation often begins with Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” To begin with the fact that all people are sinful is for our own view of ourselves to drop. It is only then that a person will be uplifted by the Lord because He is the one with the power to do so.

I tend toward the second option because of the word many. If it were to include all people or even all of Israel, I would lean more toward the falling to reference those who will suffer eternity in hell. James 4:10 supports this notion of falling before rising: “Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.” Now that we’ve covered that Jesus was appointed for the fall of many, let’s look at the rising.

This clearly is a reference to those who have received salvation. In doing a search of the times the Greek word for ‘rising’ is used in the New Testament, the translation more times than not refers to resurrection. It is to be risen from a prone or sitting position to a place of standing. It was Jesus who was first raised from the dead. In that miraculous and divine act, it is now possible for man to be raised in the same way. As I quoted from James earlier, there are many today who will be exalted by the Lord because of their faith!

While Simeon says these things about those in Israel, they are applicable to all people. Those who believe will be humbled before a holy God, only to be resurrected with newness of life. Simeon, with tears in his eyes, knew that Jesus was the opportunity for all of humanity to be raised with Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father. But the next thing Jesus was appointed for was

To be a sign that is opposed

The life of Jesus was one that was greatly opposed. In Matthew 4, we see our Lord tempted in the wilderness, an opposition that He overcame. In the temptation, we are able to witness the fact that He was truly in fleshly form yet somehow was able to withstand the temptation. The tempter’s goal was to find some sort of fault in Him but the attempt was thwarted.

There are many places in the gospels where Jesus is tested, being asked questions by the brightest minds of the day such as Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and many others. They opposed Jesus and saw Him as a threat to their way of life.

Even as He made His way to the cross, the people He had come to save would have rather released a guilty man to see Him crucified. The Christian person is promised opposition but never to the degree that Jesus faced. Psalm 118:22, which is quoted by Jesus in three of the four gospels and by Peter in Acts 4, told us of this opposition: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” We know not all of the reasons why Jesus was so opposed, but we can certainly make an educated guess. Maybe Jesus did not fit their idea of what a Messiah should be. Maybe they took issue because He came to fulfill the law even though they liked the law just the way it was. Or maybe, as is the case for so many today, to accept Jesus would be to give up on their own preferential way of living.

So many people would rather have what their flesh loves rather than surrendering their own lives to Jesus. But Simeon knew that this would be an issue.

Now, there is a parenthetical statement made to Mary herself by Simeon that I wouldn’t want to skip over entirely. He says that “a sword will pierce through your own soul also) and in saying this refers to the grief that Mary must have faced in watching both her son and Lord die on that cross.

When we come together on Good Friday each year, we consider the grief that Mary must have felt on that day. It was, after all, her own son that died on that cross. Yet an even more powerful note, Jesus was on that cross for her sins as well. It is heartbreaking for you and I to consider that we are the ones that put Him on that cross. Our own opposition is what causes the need for a Savior.

When it comes to the opposition of Jesus, we must remember that it is impossible for a person to remain neutral about Jesus. Either you are for Him or you are against Him. Either you are obedient to Him or you despise His commands. Either you accept Him or you reject Him. There is no middle ground. And when we choose one side, it reflects on our lives. This leads to our final point this morning.

The thoughts from many hearts may be revealed

I continue to submit to you that the most important thing about any individual person is what they think about Jesus. It dictates the way that they do everything. It has power over the way that we talk, the way that we work, how often we attend church, and so much more.

When a person remains opposed to Jesus, even if it is just avoiding giving one aspect of your life over to Him, they are revealing that they don’t want to fully surrender; that there is something in their life that they can’t quite possibly give over.

I stand before a room of people who will likely celebrate Christmas over the next few days. But I want to ask, each time you view a manger scene or open a gift given from another, have you fully submitted yourself to the one who gave Himself as a gift to you in exchange for nothing at all?